Dice board



Oct 31, 1939- R. s. RoBlNsoN 2.178.435

DICE BOARD Filed Feb. 7, 1938 Patented Oct. 31, 1939 UNITED STTES PATENT OFFICE 3 Claims.

The present invention relates generally to dice boards. More particularly the invention relates to that type of dice board which comprises a cloth covered rectangular baseboard and a rectangular `5 opstanding dice retaining frame around the baseboard and is adapted to have dice which have been previously shaken in the hand or a dicebox rolled over the baseboard thereof and against the back or the sides of the frame or in the rear corners of the frame in connection with a dice played game.

One object of the invention is to provide a dice board of this type which is an improvement upon previously designed boards by reason of the fact that the back and rear portions of the sides of the frame have along the inner faces elastic strips which operate when the dice are rolled thereagainst to bounce the dice back onto the baseboard in an extremely active manner and thus not only eiect a thorough rolling or discharge of the dice but also prevent or avoid cheating by an yindividual who is sufliciently adept in the handling of dice to slide them without rolling over the baseboard.

Another object of the invention is to provide a dice board of the last mentioned character in which the strips are formed of sponge rubber and are inset or disposed in groove formed pockets in the inner faces of the back and the rear portions of the sides of the frame so that the top edges thereof are not exposed and hence do not interfere in any Way with picking up the dice from the baseboard.

A further object of the invention is to provide k a dice board of the type and character under consideration in which the baseboard is provided on the top face thereof and beneath the covering cloth with a coextensive sponge rubber sheet which in addition to making the dice bounce up- 40 wards when they are dropped from the hand or a dicebox from a small distance above the cloth serves as a cushion for the cloth and prevents the latter from being injured or cut with the sharp corners of the dice as Well as the dicebox i5 which is used in throwing or casting the dice over the board.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a dice board which is generally of new and improved design and is both durable and efficient g() in use.

Gther objects of the invention and the various advantages and characteristics of the present dice board will be apparent from a consideration of the following detailed description.

5 The invention consists in the several novel features which are hereinafter set forth and are more particularly delined by claims at the conclusion hereof.

In the drawing which accompanies and forms a part of this specication or disclosure and in 5 which like numerals of reference denote corresponding parts throughout the several views:

Figure l is a perspective of a dice board embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a perspective of the rectangular l0 frame of the board showing in detail the arrangement and design of the sponge rubber strips which are connected to the inner faces of the back and the rear portions of the` sides of the frame and serve when the dice are rolled there- 15 against to bounce them in a rolling manner back onto the board;

Figure 3 is an enlarged vertical transverse sectional view taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 1 and illustrating the manner in which the sponge rub- 20 ber strips are inset in groove formed pockets in the inner faces of the back and rear portions of the sides of the frame; and Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional View showing the composite construction of the 25 baseboard and the character and arrangement of the sponge rubber sheet which is interposed between the cloth and the baseboard proper.

The dice board which is shown in the drawing constitutes the preferred embodiment of the in- 30 vention. It is adapted to have hand or dice box shaken dice thrown or cast onto it and comprises a baseboard 5 and a rectangular upstanding dice retaining frame 6 around the baseboard.

The baseboard 5 is formed of wood and is of 35 uniform thickness throughout. 'It has flat top and bottom faces, as shown in Figures 3 and 4, and is provided with a coextensive sheet 'I of sponge rubber and a cloth covering 3. The sheet l is of slightly less height or th1ckness than the 40 baseboard. It ts against and is adhesively secured to the top face of the baseboard and operates when dice are thrown or dropped toward the baseboard to make the dice bounce upwards and roll in an uncontrollable manner. It further operates as a cushion for the covering 8 and prevents the latter from being injured or cut by the corners or edges of the dice or by the dice box when the latter is pounded on the baseboard in connection with preliminary shaking of the dice. The covering 8 is preferably formed of billiard cloth type broadcloth. It overlies the top face of the sponge rubber sheet 'l and is slightly larger in f size than the baseboard and sponge rubber sheet.

The margins of the cloth covering, as shown in Figure 4, extend downwardly in lapped relation with the edges of the sheet and baseboard and are secured in place by means of tacks 9 which extend through the margins of the covering and are driven into the baseboard.

The frame 6 serves to retain the dice over the baseboard after they are cast onto the felt covering S and consists of a pair of sides lli, a front l I, and a back i2. The latter are formed of wood or any other suitable material and are fixedly connected together at the ends thereof so that the frame as a whole is rigid. The lower inner corners of the sides, front and back of the frame are formed with grooves i3 in order to accommodate the marginal portions of the baseboard. The groove in the front li of the frame and thev front portions of the grooves in the sides i@ are equal in height to the baseboard and are bounded or delimited at the top thereof by downwardly facing shoulders id. The latter overlie the subjacent marginal portions of the baseboard and prevent downward movement of the frame relatively to the baseboard when the frame and said baseboard are in assembled relation. -crews l5 extend through the sides, front and back of the frame into the baseboard E, as shown in Figure 3, serve to hold the frame and baseboard in connected relation. The groove in the back i2 of the frame and the rear portions of the grooves in the sides l@ are extended upwardly to form pockets i5 above the baseboard 5. rlhese pockets terminate a slight distance beneath the upper edges of the back and sides of the frame and are bounded or delimited at the top thereof by shoulders il' which face downwardly and overlie the subiacent marginal portions of the baseboard. Strips it of sponge rubber are disposed in the pockets it and serve as elastic cushions whereby the dice which are thrown or cast thereagainst are caused to bounce in a rolling and extremely active manner back onto the baseboard They correspond in depth, height and length to the pockets with the result that their exposed faces are flush with the inner faces of the back and sides of the frame. The unexposed or inner faces of the strips are secured by any suitable adhesive or rubber cement to the faces of the back and sides which define the sides of the pocket-s in order that the strips are suitably secured in place. The upper edges of the strips abut against and are adhesively connected to the shoulders lll and the lower edges of the strips are coplanar with the shoulders ill and abut against and form stop shoulders for the subjacent marginal portions of the baseboard 5. When dice are thrown onto the baseboard in the direction of the back, the rear portions of the sides, or the rear corners of the frame, they strike forcibly against the strips iB and the latter as a result of their cushioning effect and inherent resiliency bounce the dice back onto the board as hereinbefore described. Because the strips are formed of sponge rubber the back bounce of the dice is pronounced and generally accompanied by a rolling action which effectively precludes or prevents cheating in connection with rolling or casting of the dice onto the board. n addition to effecting pronounced bouncing of the dice, the strips prevent the dice from splintering the back and rear portions of the sides of the frame and as a result the dice thrower is not likely to receive slivers when retrieving or picking up the dice.

The herein described dice board effectively and efficiently fulfills its intended purpose and also prevents cheating as the result of the action or operation of the sponge rubber strips i8. In addition it is extremely durable due to the fact that the sponge rubber sheet l cushions the felt and prevents cutting of the latter.

The invention is not to be understood as restricted to the details set forth, since these may be modified within the scope of the appended claims, without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

Having thus described claim as new and desire Patent is:

l. As a new article of manufacture, a dice board comprising a rectangular baseboard, a rectangular upstanding dice retaining frame extending around and conforming to the baseboard and having grooves along the inner lower corners of the sides, front and back thereof for accommodating the marginal portions of the baseboard and also having the groove in the back thereof extended upwards above the baseboard to a point beneath the superincumbent upper edge of said back to form a pocket of uniform thiol/:ness throughout and with a downwardly facing shoulder at the top thereof, and a strip of the same thickness and size as the pocket fitting and secured within said pocket in such manner that the lower edge thereof rests on the subjacent marginal portion of the baseboard and its upper edge abuts flatly against said shoulder, and formed of highly resilient material so that any dice striking thereagainst are caused to bounce in a rolling manner onto the baseboard.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a dice board comprising a rectangular baseboard, a rectangular upstanding dice retaining frame eX- tending around and conforming to the baseboard and having grooves along the inn-or .lower corners of the sides, front and back thereof for accommodating the marginal portions of the baseboard and also having the groove in the back thereof and the rear portions of the grooves in its sides extended upwards above the baseboard to a point beneath the superincumbent upper edges of the back and sides to form pockets of uniform thickness throughout and with downwardly facing shoulders at the top thereof, and strips of the same thickness and size as the pockets fitting and secured within said pockets in such manner that the lower edges thereof rest upon the subjacent marginal portions of the baseboard and their upper edges abut flatly against said shoulders, and formed of highly resilient material so that any dice striking thereagainst are caused to bounce in a rolling manner onto the baseboard.

3. As a new article of manufacture, a dice board comprising a rigid baseboard having a cloth covering thereover with the marginal portions thereof extending downwards and secured tothe edge portions of the baseboard, and also having a coextensive sheet of highly resilient material interposed between its top face and said covering, and a separate continuous upstanding dice retaining frame extending around and conforming to the baseboard and having a continuous groove in the inner lower corner portions thereof for the marginal portions of said baseboard and also having a continuous downwardly facing shoulder above the groove and resting on the marginal-portions of the cloth covering.

ROBERT S. ROBINSON.

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